By Moonlight
by Tez
Summary: Maybe we should think about moving in together. Post Standards and Practices, BrendaFritz fluff.


Disclaimer: Not mine. Not likely to become mine. Also, I stole a line from Roseanne, which is also not mine.

A/N: I'm pretty sure Brenda doesn't have a front porch on her house, so I've given her a back porch. No southern girl could survive in a house with no porch. Where would we put our rocking chairs and drink our sweet tea?

* * *

"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world." 

- Oscar Wilde

* * *

She loved the silence most of all. The cool weather was nice, and the stars seemed especially bright tonight, but Brenda's real reason for being outside at three in the morning was the peaceful silence. Out here, she couldn't hear the soft sounds of her lover's steady breathing, or the whisper of the cotton sheets when he shifted in his sleep. 

She leaned against the porch rail, looking idly up at the night sky as she thought about him. Fritz was everything she'd ever wanted in a man: he was kind, funny, smart, romantic, handsome, and an incredible lover. She knew he wanted to be with her – hell, he'd even suggested they move in together. What she didn't know was whether the reasons he'd given her for moving in, about cost and convenience, were really why he'd suggested it. She hoped they weren't. She hoped the real reasons had more to do with him being in love with her…even though he'd never actually said the words.

_Neither have you_, she reminded herself. _Somebody has to say it first. I was just kind of hoping it wouldn't be me._

She was too lost in thought to hear the footsteps behind her, and she jumped at the sound of Fritz's voice.

"You know, the aliens won't take you if you act too eager," he informed her, his tone gently teasing. She smiled weakly into the dark, knowing he wouldn't be able to see it.

"Fritz?"

"Yeah?" he replied, his voice closer this time, and she closed her eyes as his arms slipped around her waist.

"Can I ask you something?"

He shrugged. "Sure. Anything."

"What would you…" She trailed off, biting her lip uncertainly. She wasn't sure it was a good idea to bring this up again – not after Fritz had been so willing to let it drop – but something inside her just wouldn't let it go. Of course, her inability to let things go had caused her a fair amount of trouble in the past…"What would you consider to be a good reason for two people to move in together?"

"Huh." He leaned forward to rest his chin on the top of her head, wishing he could see her expression in order to judge what sort of answer she was looking for. With Brenda, he could never be completely sure, but when in doubt the best choice was usually just to tell her the truth. "Well, I think they should enjoy being around each other…they should want to spend more time together than they do right now…and it helps if they prefer different sides of the bed."

There was a long pause, during which Brenda considered his response. When he felt her shift in his arms, preparing to speak, he added quietly, "And they should also be in love."

There was another long pause, this one considerably more tense than the first. Although they'd been lovers for almost six months, neither one had ever uttered the 'l' word. Fritz had known he was in love with her for a considerable portion of that time, but he'd been afraid that telling her would scare her away. He knew that she'd been hurt in the past, and that she was scared to trust another man with her heart, but he needed her to know how he felt. He also needed to know how she felt; if she wasn't in love with him, he needed to find out before he ended up getting _his_ heart broken.

_This is it,_ Fritz told himself silently. _The cards are finally on the table. Even Brenda can't have missed your real meaning._

"A truck," she said finally, her tone undecipherable, and he turned her gently around in his arms to give her a puzzled look.

"What?" Of all the answers she could have given him, 'truck' wasn't exactly what he'd been expecting.

"A truck," she repeated, realizing too late that he had no idea what she was talking about. "We'll need one."

"We'll need a truck?"

A shy smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"To move your stuff over here."

He was still staring at her, but his expression had changed from bemusement to stunned realization.

"I like being around you," Brenda told him softly, reaching up to caress his cheek. "And I want to spend more time with you than I do now, and I like the right side of the bed and you like the left, and…" She nearly couldn't get the words out, but she forced herself to say them, knowing she'd waited long enough to tell him the truth. "And I love you."

"I love you, Brenda Leigh Johnson," he breathed, feeling his knees go weak out of sheer relief. "I love you so much."

Her answering smile lit up her face, her eyes shining as she closed the distance between them. The kiss was long and tender and full of promise, and when it was over, Brenda rested her head against his chest. They stayed like that for a few moments, thoroughly content, and then Fritz reached up to tap her on the shoulder.

"So," he murmured, and Brenda let out a surprised giggle as he swept her up in his arms, his dark eyes smoldering with desire. "About that truck…"

"It can wait until tomorrow," she offered, her body responding instinctively to his seductive tone, and he gave her one of those rakish grins that sent a pleasant shiver down her spine.

"Tomorrow sounds good," he agreed, capturing her mouth in a passionate kiss as he carried her back into the house. "I have a feeling we're going to be otherwise occupied tonight."

The door closed on the sound of their laughter, and the cool autumn night fell silent again.


End file.
